He could not help the grin that split his face as he watched her nearly end up clinging to the ceiling. She spun round to see him grinning madly at her, he was enjoying this, she could tell. She was starting to doubt it now, starting to doubt what she'd seen in his eyes, doubting herself, doubting how to respond, what if she was wrong? What if it was her tired brain playing tricks on her? Her brain now running at a hundred mile an hour, she struggled for something to say, the tiredness was creeping in now and coherent speech was starting to feel like a non starter. She put on her best southern drawl
"Horatio Caine That is the second time tonight that you have near scared me half to death" She watched him as he tipped his head to the side and listened to her, the grin fading to a smile as he watched her. She looked at him; his eyes crinkled with the laughter he was suppressing, the light that danced in those deep blue liquid pools was pure mischief. Oh lord she was too tired to deal with this right now, too tired and too on edge to know how to respond, One wrong move now and she felt like her world would spiral into chaos, she wanted to reach out to him, to step into his world but something held her back. Something stopped her, how could he be so damn intense one minute and the next so casual, he was driving her crazy, and she had no idea what to do about it.
"You..." he paused his eyes drifting away from hers then quickly back as he added "are very jumpy tonight" She allowed his statement hang in the air. As the doors chinked open as the reached the ground floor. She turned to face the doors, waiting impatiently for them to open, ready to bolt. She was confused and far too tired to work anything out right now; even he was puzzling her, which was not normal. She knew him as well as she knew herself or did she?
He knew it was best not to push her now, the last thing he wanted was for her run, he couldn't bare that, she was too tired he noted, He was too tired. But the temptation to touch her again overwhelmed him he wanted to wrap her up in his arms, to protect her and cherish her, as she deserved to be. Moving away from the wall he stepped towards her, his arm gently swept forward and closed round her waist. She allowed him to guide her out of the lift and through the foyer, his hand rested on her lower back just barely touching her and she felt a shock wave as her skin prickled and her stomach somersaulted wildly. She walked in silence, by his side, and she suddenly realised how natural it was to walk next to him. How natural it was for her to keep pace with him even though he was so much taller as though that was where she should be, by his side. As they headed out of the building towards the car park.
Somehow she knew he hadn't needed or wanted an answer in the lift and she hadn't rose to the insinuation that he'd proffered. As they reached the car park, drifting just far enough from him for him to realise she was leaving. Just far enough for her to sense the natural connection they had start to separate. The fright had left her drained again; the close proximity of being in a confined space with him had left her tingling from head to toe. She knew she had to sleep to refresh her brain, too bring herself back to reality. His voice broke her thoughts,
"Sweet dreams" She stood stock-still and watched him climb into the hummer and waited for him to drive away. He didn't he waited, what was he waiting for she couldn't understand it, deciding her brain was fried she turned towards her car and climbed in. Pulling out of the car park she glanced in the rear view mirror. He had waited until she was safe in her car and heading home before he pulled out of the car park, pointing the hummer in the opposite direction he drove home.
The sun was just starting to break over the horizon and the first fingers of its warmth stretched out over the still sleeping city like a blanket. It was sure going to be a warm one, she thought as she pulled into the driveway. Leaning back in her car seat she tried to fathom what she'd seen in his eyes, his eye's she couldn't get them out of her head, she'd felt like she was drowning felt like her soul was being drawn into them. She could not cope with her emotions as she steeled herself out of the car and headed for her front door. Opening the front door, she slid silently into the cool safe haven that was her home, glancing round she decided her bed was the best option. Slowly she walked to her bedroom, like a woman in love she ran her hand down the hallway wall, then sudden realisation hit her, Oh lord what was she doing, sleep She needed to sleep then maybe it would all be normal again when she woke up. Yes that's it she'd sleep and it would all fade away like the dream from earlier fade into her memory, like a mist dispersing over the glades in the early morning sun. She didn't remember her head hitting the pillow; she was asleep before it did.
He didn't go home, he drove around mindlessly, till he found himself at the beach. Parking the car he walked out onto the sand and sat watching the sun come up, the orange light spidering across the horizon and silhouetting the buildings of Miami Beach in an aura of early light. He pulled his knees up arms resting across his knees ringing his hands, staring aimlessly into the endless horizon. Slowly he rested his head on them and sighed. He wanted her, wanted her in his life. Needed her even, he suddenly felt like everything could go right for once in his life. He knew what he'd seen in her eyes, he saw her lose herself in his eyes, letting him draw her in. For a moment she had let him in, for a frozen second the connection had been made, now he had to work out how to build on it, without pushing her away. Slowly he rose and walked to the water's edge, shoving his hands deep in his trouser pockets he stared out over the ocean, watching the waves roll in. The zephyr of ocean air caught his hair and the suns glint getting brighter now made he reach for his sunglasses. Parking them on his face and with one last look at the sun rising he turned and walked back to his car. Like a new day, dawning a page had turned, a new chapter begun.